Breech-loading firearm.



No. 818,461. PATENTED APR. 24 1906. 0. F. MOSSBERG. BREEGH LOADING FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-30.1899.

gi t 5.555" F I UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

OSCAR F. MOSSBERG, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MARY ELIZABETH JOHNSON, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, EXECUTRIX OF IVER JOHNSON, DECEASED.

BREECH-LOADING FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR F. MossBERe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of WVorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech- Loading Firearms, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which- Figure 1 represents avertical, central, and longitudinal section 'of a portion of the barrel and frame of a breech-loading firearm; and Fig. 2 is a detached and bottom view of the top snap or lever by which the barrel-latch is withdrawn.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figuresv My invention relates to that class of breech-loading firearms known as breakdown guns, in which the barrel is pivotally connected with the breechpiece or framework of the gun and is held in its normal or firing position by a latch capable of being withdrawn from engagement with the barrel in order to allow the barrel to be.rocked on its pivot; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and set forth in the anneXed claim.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the breech-piece or framework of the gun B, the barrel, pivotally connected at B to the breech-piece and provided with a triangular notch B adapted to be engaged by the end C of a latch C, pivoted to the breech-piece at its opposite end C The latch C is held in engagement with the notch B by means of a rod D, pivotally connected at D to the free end of the latch C and having its opposite end entering and sliding within a hole D formed in the breech-piece A. A pin D is held in the rod D, and between the pin D and the frame of the gun is inserted a compression spiral spring E, whose tension serves to carry the free end of the latch C into the notch B of the barrel. A rod F is pivoted at one end to the latch C and at its opposite end to a crank-plate G, attached to the lower end of a rotating spindle H, which is journaled in the breech-piece A and is provided at its upper end with a lever I, termed a top snap.

In order to withdraw the latch C and release the barrel, the top snap or lever I is pushed to one side, rotating the spindle H, carrying the rear end of rod F beyond the dead-center and drawing the latch C back against the tension of the spiral spring E, thereby locking it. When the lever I is released, the spiral spring E serves to carry the latch C forward and also reverse the motion of the lever I.

I am aware that it is not new to hold the barrel in its normal position by means of a pivoted latch engaging a notch in the barrel. Neither is it new to employ a top snap or lever I upon the top of the breech-piece operatively connected with a barrel engaging latch, and I do not claim either of these features broadly. By the construction shown the top snap and latching mechanism are operatively connected and are controlled by an actuating-spring located in the space at the rear of the hammer J, and the connections between the latch and top snap and between the latch and its actuating-spring are eX- tremely simple and cheap in construction, consisting of the rods D and E, which extend backward from the latch C at the side of the hammer J.

The pivoted latch C is placed immediately in front of the hammer and in close juxtaposition thereto, while the mechanism for actuating the latch is located at the rear of the hammer, where ample space is provided for the employment of a long and elastic spiral spring E, acting upon the latch through the medium of a rod which passes from the space in the rear of the hammer past one side thereof. In similar barrel-latches hitherto used the spring was made to act directly against the latch and a space was required in front of the hammer to receive the spring, rendering the lock mechanism less compact.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a breakdown gun, the combination with a frame and a barrel, of a latch pivoted to the frame and normally engaging the barrel,v

means for withdrawing the latch from the barrel, the frame provided with an aperture therein, a rod, one end of which is connected to the latch and the opposite end of which is partially received in the aperture in the In testimony whereof I have signed my frame, a spring adapted to normally force the name to this specification, in presence of two rod out of the aperture to retain the latch in subscribing Witnesses, August 24, 1899. engagement With the barrel, the rod adapted OSCAR F. MOSSBERG. to be moved rearwardly When the latch is Witnesses:

Withdrawn from the barrel, andbe guided by GUsToF ELLSTROME and slid Within the aperture in the frame ALBERT E. ADDIS. 

